Live at The Albert Hall (BBC Proms). Kate Bush perhaps, Chinese style. Synths and bass loops meets pipa and gusheng. Looks like a natural to have repetitive bass lines with this type of music. Sings sometimes in her own imaginary language, otherwise in Tibetan/Chinese. If everything continues to go as they are, many people in Occident could know her name 2-3 years from now. First 'pop' Chinese singer at the BBC Proms in more than an hundred years. BBC broadcasted this for the first time internationally (outside of their normal Proms distribution).

Jewish/Klezmer-based jazz from the prolific John Zorn. This is from the Book of Angels, vol 2. Zorn composed about 300 pieces for his second book of angels (the first one had approx. 200 pieces). Not all are yet recorded on CD. This is the Masada String Trio in a live, excellent setting, giving an excellent performance. Zorn is the guy sitting on the stage, directing the trio. Warning: Zorn has also made some wacky stuff, so beware if you are exploring this thread, or if you have heard the name before, you might find some off that strange material ! This is not. More Masada String Trio is available on Youtube from the same concert. There are also variations on the formation, such as Electric Masada and the Bar Kokhba sextet.

The videos you can find of Hanggai on youtube does not describe the closeness, the sound quality, the 'occidentalization' of sorts that makes the songs lush while carrying over a warm feeling. Mastered in the U.K., garnished with some programming and sequences. The voices stand out, as well as the nature of the Mongolian string instruments. It's great in its simplicity.

Is this 'occidentalization' necessary ? I wonder. Could they have delivered such a product out of China only ? Will Chinese artists be able to do so in 10 years from now ?

The video link below has sequences from several places. Most of this was shot by a robotized camera arm at a Mongolian folk festival concert in Beijing (probably for TV), you can find another personalized, side view of most of that concert song on youtube.

A perhaps interesting note here is that it seems that Mongolian music is considered as part of the Chinese culture by the Han majority in China (after all many dynasties were founded by Mongolians) in a similar manner as Celtic music is part of England: it comes nevertheless carrying some uncertainty.

Ilchi, the perhaps leader of the group, was into the Beijing punk scene. There's a to-the-point quality to their songs, even if it could turn out that their lyrics are more or less mundane. I kind of doubt it.

I don't really want to make any advert here, but would like to point out that this is not a really hard to find CD (as opposed to some of the other musical choices I have made here), for anyone interested : it's available on Amazon (nicely priced too).

Again, the CD is great, and the videos you could find does not render this. The CD took me by surprise.

(*) literally, une 'noix de beurre'. Follows the concept that even though French do not use olive oil as much perhaps as Italians and Meditarranean/Middle-Eastern countries, it is still considered awkward to block the flow from the bottle of olive oil to the target by means of spoons or measuring cups. Following this, the common measure of a 'nut of butter' (or two) can be an appalling large quantity for some, not enough for others. In this case, for 1 1/2 of brewed tea, it was a chunk from knuckle of thumb to end of thumb.

I'm starting to like this tea preapred in such a way. Relaxing and fulfilling. Not a kickstart-booster tea by any means. Next time I'll try with goat milk.

I'd also like to add that Hanggai does not use any loops, contrary to what I've written above. This is not a Western electro takeover of a Mongolian band. At least not yet ! It is simple, well-felt music. I find it is actually the Western music (as in cowboys, ranchers and far west) involving horses that I dreamt about.

I like to listen to lieder of Schubert and Wolf, and piano works of Faure, Scriabin and Satie, to accompany with tea. Hyperion offers fine collection of Schubert and Schwarzkopf for Wolf, de Leeuw for Satie who plays a bit slower tempo than most. Rubinstein's Chopin Mazurka (RCA), all-time classic tracing the latest Polish Rubato.

skilfautdire wrote:Check this one out. Part of my (now very, very new) discoveries.

(Mongolia) Hanggai

The videos you can find of Hanggai on youtube does not describe the closeness, the sound quality, the 'occidentalization' of sorts that makes the songs lush while carrying over a warm feeling. Mastered in the U.K., garnished with some programming and sequences. The voices stand out, as well as the nature of the Mongolian string instruments. It's great in its simplicity.

Is this 'occidentalization' necessary ? I wonder. Could they have delivered such a product out of China only ? Will Chinese artists be able to do so in 10 years from now ?

The video link below has sequences from several places. Most of this was shot by a robotized camera arm at a Mongolian folk festival concert in Beijing (probably for TV), you can find another personalized, side view of most of that concert song on youtube.

A perhaps interesting note here is that it seems that Mongolian music is considered as part of the Chinese culture by the Han majority in China (after all many dynasties were founded by Mongolians) in a similar manner as Celtic music is part of England: it comes nevertheless carrying some uncertainty.

Ilchi, the perhaps leader of the group, was into the Beijing punk scene. There's a to-the-point quality to their songs, even if it could turn out that their lyrics are more or less mundane. I kind of doubt it.

I don't really want to make any advert here, but would like to point out that this is not a really hard to find CD (as opposed to some of the other musical choices I have made here), for anyone interested : it's available on Amazon (nicely priced too).

Again, the CD is great, and the videos you could find does not render this. The CD took me by surprise.